Means for mining streams



Dec. 1s, 1934. E, MALLERY' 1,984,802

MEANS FOR MINING STREAMS Filed May 25, 1932 /4 TTOR/VEK Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED gs'rfrs PTENT 3 Claims.

My invention relates to a simple method for diverting the ilow of a live stream from a portion of its bed so that certain operations can be carried on in the portion of the bed thus dried. '\The invention further relates to a method of mining stream beds to recover placer gold or other valuable minerals or materials therefrom.

Valuable metals, such as gold, are found in many streams, and much of' such valuable deposits is recovered from stream beds. Where the conditions are such that a dredge may be floated on the stream, mining operations are'carried on. In some instances the materials forming the bed of a stream are removed by use of hydraulic dredging equipment; but many streams are encountered' in which recovery or mining of materials is not practical in the above described manners. For instance, the stream may be narrow and swift at the point at which it is desired toconduct the miningoperations; the point at which the operations are to be conducted may be relatively inaccessible to heavy machinery; and the stream may be situated between relatively steep canyon walls. In addition to the foregoing, it is often found that thestream bed is so rocky that removal thereof Acannot be accomplished by dredges;' accordingly, the deposits of gold orv other valuable metals under and between the rocky formation of the stream bed remain inaccessible.

Y My present invention is'A of considerable importance in that it provides a simple method and means for mining the bed of a stream heretofore considered impractical or inaccessible.

My invention comprehends a simpleI method and means whereby a portion of a stream bed may be made dry by the diversion of the stream `flow therefrom, thereby making it possible to mine the bed of a stream and remove therefrom all of the valuable constituents. Y

` In its simplest form the practice of myinvention embraces the placing of flexible conduit members, such as tubes of canvas, cloth, or rubberized fabric, with the upper or mouth ends thereof in the stream bed in position to receive a maximum portion ofthe water constituting the flow of the stream. The front or mouth ends of the conduit members are placed in the stream bed at a point above the part in which it is desired to conductthe mining operations, and the following orintermediate portions of the conduit Vmembers are placed or located in positions disclosing the stream bed to mining operations.

The water of the stream, Y"or a greaterY portion thereof, is in this manner caused to circumvent the zone of the stream'bed in which'the mining u operations are to.be conducted. `:If the stream Ais flowing through a walled canyon, the flexible vconduit membersv carrying the flow of the stream Vmay be supported one above the other on the f v5 canyon Walls by means Which my. invention provides, or in suchvinstances it may be desirable to'lay or stack one ilexible conduit member f onthel other alongone side of the'stream-bed,

thereby` disclosing apart of the stream bedto l110 Ythe mining operations. in which thev invention isv employed varies in accordance with the character. of the (stream tobe The particular manner mined, namely, whether it is sluggish or swift,

small or large. If the stream is accessible and "lo is of such sizethat a barge may be anchored thereon, the forward or mouth ends ofA the'iconduit members may be'secured .to the barge,and a oat then securedl to' the rearwardor. discharge end of each conduit memberto float it ldowntlfie stream. Where the stream is small,` the operation of placing theflexible conduit membersmay be conducted from one side .of thestreamor from a platform suspended .by cables.'

The essential elements for thefpr'actice olf-'the 25 inventionl include one or more flexible conduits in accordance with the amount ofrwater to be handled, f and simple-meansr for securing, the. forward or mouth ends of the conduits 'in `positions to receive water from the flow of the stream.

For v'this purpose fI ind` that a' metal ring,A or ring of other -rigivilfheavy material such as concrete, may be attached to thel forward endyof each conduit to hold it 'open tothe 'entry of Water andalsoato serve as a weightto hold it against the 'streambed. In conjunctionwith I this anchorage means I'providemeansV for holding the mouths `or. entrance membersiin, posil tions Afacinglorfvconfronting'the stream flow, such means also resisting all downstream movement 40 of the conduit members and the parts associated therewith. Where shore operations are. required in, the installation of the'equipment 'for diverting the stream ow, a cable mai be stretched across the'stream ata point Vabove thefpo'rtion' 45 `to'be mined, land `the respective conduit members, wound on ,spools or'drums,"may be carried to theirjdesired positions above` the stream on a traveler.v Astheoat member secured to the 4discharge end of each conduit,memberjcarriesO the conduit member down the stream, such conduit member will-be unwound to its full length. After such unwinding operation the conduit members may be secured' by extending cablesV vfrom an anchorage means'to the inlet members.' 55

thereby holding the mouths of the conduit members in the desired positions to receive the iiow of the stream.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be made evident from the following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawing, Which is for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View showing a simple embodiment and practice of the invention in the bed of a relatively 7small stream.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section on a plane represented by the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. n,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section on Ya plane represented by the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section showing the mouth end of a flexible conduit member and a simple form of inlet a-nd anchorage means therefor. Y

Fig. 5 is a partly sectioned view showing a conduit vmem-ber mounted on a reel vor spool.

In Fig. 1 I show a stream bed 11 situated in a out between relatively steep walls 12 and 13.

`As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the stream bed 11 may include a layer 14 of rock, sand, and silt I.containing the valuable mineral deposits, such as gold, vto be reclaimed. Assuming that the portion 15 of the stream bed 11 is to be mined, a yplurality of flexible conduit members 16 wound .on reels or spools 17 are transported to a posi- V.tion 18 above the portion 15 in which the mining operations are to be conducted. Floats of any vdesired kind are secured to the discharge ends of the conduit members 16, and these conduit members are floated downstream and are unwound from .the spools 1'7. As shown in Fig. 4, each conduit member consists of a tube 2O of flexible, ywaterproof material, such as canvas or cloth has been rubberized or otherwise suitably water-proofed. The lengths of the conduits 16 may vary from a hundred to a thousand feet, as `.conditions may require, and the circumferential .dimensions of the conduits may vary from inches to feet in vaccordance with the quantity of water .flowing in the stream bed. In the forward or mouth end 21 of each conduit member 16 a tubular or cylindrical inlet member 22 is placed, and the .conduit member 16 is secured thereto by encircling clamps 23 which coincide with cir- ;cu'lar grooves 24 in the body of `the inlet mem- `ber 22. At the forward end of leach inlet member 22 eyelets 25 or 4other. cable-securing means lare mounted. For ordinary purposes, three of .such cable-securing means substantially equally spaced are suiiicient. From the eyelets 25 cable means .26. are carried forwardly or upstream to a suitable stationary supporting structure, such as a cable 27 stretched across the stream between means 26. This water flows through the length 'of the conduit members 16 and may be again discharged into the stream bed, as indicated at 29, or elsewhere, as desired.

As shown in Fig. i, the cable means 26 are varied in length so as to offset the inlet mem- 'bers 22 in such a manner that the flow of the stream which passes one inlet member will be received by a succeeding inlet member. By a suitable placement of the inlet members and the provision of sufficient conduit capacity, the entire iiow of the stream, or the greater portion thereof, may be caused to circumvent the portion 15 of the stream bed. In Fig. 2 which is a section taken adjacent the forward ends of the conduit members 16, they are shown filled with water 34 constituting the flow of the stream and in side-by-side relation 'between the side walls 12 and 13. Fig. 3 is a section through the portion 15 of the stream bed which is to be mined, and in order to disclose an area 35 of the stream bed, the intermediate portions of the conduit members 16 are placed along the right side of the stream bed in stacked relation by placing such intermediate portions of the conduit members 16 one upon the other in the manner shown.

The invention also provides means for supporting or holding the conduit members 16 in desired positions to disclose a portion of the stream bed 11. ,ln this disclosure such lmeans consists of ktabs 36., secured to the fabric walls of the conduit members at suitable intervals, and cables 37, whereby oneor more of the conduit members 16 may be held against a side wall, such as the wall 13, the upper ends `of the cables 37 being tied to rstationary posts 38.

The disclosed area .35 constituting .at least half of the stream bed 11 through the .portion 15 thereof may be mined by removing the uncovered portion of the layer `14 down to the rock;

bottom 41 of the stream bed 11. The large and t small rocks and stones 42 may be removed to give access to the metal-bearing sand wedged therebetween, thereby making it possible to remove the most valuable portions of the deposits in the stream bed, for the Vgold or other metal, being relatively heavy, tends to settle to the bottom. After one side of theportion 15 of the stream bed 11 has been mined in the foregoing manner, the intermediate portions of the conduit members 16 may be moved over to the left side of the stream bed, or the rightward portion of the layer 14 lying under the conduit members 16 may be removed from the left side of the stream bed.

My invention is of great value dueto its inherent economy resulting from simplicity of the apparatus employed, the simple manner in which it may be installed and secured, and yits removability after the mining operations in a particular part of the stream bed have been completed. The conduit members may be removed from the stream bed and rolled up so as to be transported to another location without loss. Where wood flumes are built to divert the flow of a stream, such wood umes cannot be ordinarily reclaimed and are ,often destroyed by freshets, thereby occasioning a loss. My apparatus may be removed from and replaced in a stream bed in Va relatively short Vtime andvat relatively small cost as conditions may require...

is recognized that certain parts or elements thereof are representative of other parts, elements, or mechanisms which may be used in substantially the same manner to accomplish substantially the same results; therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. Equipment of the character described, for removing a flow of Water from a stream bed, comprising: a conduit member consisting of a tubular wall of flexible material, the forward end of said conduit member being adapted to receive a fiow of water from said stream; an inlet member connected to the forward end of said conduit member, said inlet member being adapted to hold the mouth of said conduit member open and to sink the same to the stream bed; a cable spanning said stream bed forwardly of said conduit member; and lines connecting between said inlet member and said cable to hold said conduit member in position.

2. Equipment of the character described, for removing a flow of water from a stream bed, comprising: a plurality of conduit members, each of said members consisting of a tubular wall of flexible material, the forward ends of said conduit members being adapted to receive a ow of water from said stream; an annular inlet member secured in the inlet opening of each of said conduit members and adapted to hold said inlet openings open and to sink said conduit members to the stream bed; a stationary anchoring cable spanning said stream above said conduit members; and cables connecting between said inlet members and said'stationary anchoring cable for holding said conduit members in position facing the flow of Water in said stream.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 2, including cables secured to said conduit members at points intermediate the ends thereof for holding said conduit members in superimposed relationship against a Wall of said stream bed.

ELLIS MALLERY. 

